Downhill
by le me of me
Summary: He didn't want to train her. She didn't want to see him again. But when the crappy post-Thaw world got mysteriously worse for both of them, they're forced on a journey to the South. As they bicker from North to South, their list of enemies increase...
1. Collision

_**{ I don't own Frozen. If you do, don't sue me.}**___

_**{Special thanks to my beta MaliJo}**_

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Arendelle, hours to Thaw:**

"I want you to retrieve something I've _hidden_ around here in case I die."

Three men congregated in a secluded and private part of magically frosted Arendelle, in cloaks for warmth and to conceal their identities.

"You should have let the Duke's men _off_ the Queen – but you intervened."

"I have unfinished business with her."

"No, it's because she reminds you of – "

"Enough!" Hans Westergard cut off his undercover agent.

The agent known as Seth continued "You pushed things too far. Your attempts to prolong and increase your heroic and benevolent acts created too many openings."

Another agent, Svante threw his hands up. "You two are nuts! Hans, I don't remember you mentioning killing any queens or princesses in your original plan. My pay and loyalty to the Isles doesn't cover regicides! I'm out!"

Hans narrowed his eyes at Svante's leaving form. "When did someone shafted conscience up in him?"

"Svante was a sleeper agent here almost two years...Must have grown some attachments. So what's this item?"

"You'll know what and where of it if I fall. The clues to its whereabouts shall be on my corpse."

_Not very trusting of anyone aren't you Hans_. "You, fall against a thirteen year recluse? You're one of the better combatants of your batch back in military school." _I've heard how you settled that ice monstrosity; skilful and effective._

"Many underestimate her."

"Queen Elsa is in prison awaiting your trumped up charges for execution. A sitting duck..."

"Alternatively, execute these orders if I _fail _but_ live_."

Seth examined the papers. "Weird list. But you _do_ have many contingency plans." _Always the meticulous schemer_...

"Not enough..."

"This hidden object, who do I deliver it to?"

Hans answered him.

Seth nodded. "It's for revenge isn't it?"

The Prince smiled "Or my legacy to the world..."

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Weeks later, Vaden, a nation in the South part of the Continent:**

Queen Elsa of Arendelle completed her fourth circle around the palace meeting hall.

The Kingdom of Vaden was another venue in her Diplomatic Tour de Continent; basically visiting foreign nations doing the "I'm Elsa. I come in peace. Let's fist bump (it _may_ still be risky to shake my gloveless hands) to harmony and prosperity? Oh and please ignore _that_ howler in July. Or at least don't freak out...I'm actually _very_ nice"; intentions of friendship, business, reassurance and assuaging fears.

_Let her be,_ Arendelle's Defense Minister, General Ionus told himself. _I've seen Elsa do this since childhood; pace around in circles when agitated or in deep thought. She's probably done circuits in her Ice Palace too, telling herself "Don't feel"..._

Elsa halted abruptly, "Would my yesterday's performance affects today's trade agreement meeting?"

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Some brutal honesty would be refreshing." Her other advisors presented a peachy rosy picture outside Arendelle. It was mostly anything but.

"If you mean performance by rejecting _two_ dance requests by the King of Vaden—

"Was awfully tired, barely held back my powers as it was."

"—_three_ for a 'quiet' chat somewhere 'nice'—"

"More like somewhere dark, soundproofed and lonely..."

"— and _four_ requests to 'check out' this 'exquisite wine' his majesty has in 'some' room...Yes, you failed this test."

Elsa sighed. She has never seen the serious aged veteran air quote this many times.

Barely did her foot touch Vaden capital's pier last night a welcoming ball was made in her honour. Not to be un-courteous, she let herself be dragged in despite barely recovering another previous hectic schedule.

When the lecherous King was advances was rebuffed as politely as an irritated, exhausted and strained-to-limits Snow Queen could muster, her host turned sour.

For quite many venues so far, when it came to eligible (some neither nor even single) male aristocrats, often one or more of these happened; dance requests, dining requests...various excuses for courtship, more bluntly marriage requests. Staying single was a challenge for her. Elsa wasn't bragging when she admitted sometimes her looks got in the way of serious diplomatic talks.

Then there's envy from some females.

And there's her recent claim to fame; powerful cold magic.

People were often too scared, impressed or acted indifferent. Still Elsa didn't leverage on that and made fair deals and treaties. She concealed her powers the whole trip.

_If_ the King of Vaden made one request to 'admire' his 'bed sheets'_.._.and _if _she agreed, with his majesty's guttered mind , last night's 'diplomatic' fiasco would be resolved.

An alluring brunette lady not much older than Elsa led a group into the hall.

"I'm sorry his majesty won't be joining us," the Duchess of Vaden declared. "I'll represent my brother on behalf."

"Please study this manifesto, milady" General Ionus bowed and presented a file.

Both delegations sat quietly. The Duchess seemed a competent person who wouldn't go through such an important document as if it were a toilet bowl catalogue – but she did and quickly too.

"I'm afraid we can't abide and renew our trade agreement." the Duchess proclaimed haughtily.

_Another rejection from __**another **__South nation, _Elsa thought. "We've been steady trading partners that benefitted us mutually since King –"

"We were merely waiting for a new monarch to negotiate with since your father's passing."

Elsa kept her cool. _Your brother, the King just wants petty revenge for being spurned by me...And you're just making excuses. _

_The further south I go the more excuses I hear. Some Southerners were blunter; denied me entrance. I was optimistic when delegates left my coronation. Suddenly Arendelle was a pariah to nations the South..._

_No I'm the pariah..._

"Perhaps there are clauses we can renegotiate?" Elsa steadied her voice from trembling with rage.

"I'm afraid you've come to us at a..._peculiar_ time."

"Peculiar?"

"Follow me," the Duchess led them to another block.

"We're five floors up." She opened the glass doors. The Duchess went behind Elsa and drew a sharp breath when her palms rested on the Queen's shoulders, "See for yourself, Snow Queen." She whispered to Elsa's ear then pushed her out and closed the glass doors.

The assaulting cacophony of lights, colours and sound from the vantage point at the balcony distracted Elsa from the wet lick on her ear. The tens of thousands of people packing the capital's city square and wide boulevard spotted roared to life when they spotted her.

"Go Home Ice Queen!" "Out from the South, Witch!" "Get Out Ice Freak!", and more, they chanted, waving placards and banners that matched the sentiments. Flags of Arendelle and crude effigies of her were burned.

Foodstuff showered past a chain of aloof soldiers in front of the high palace fence towards Elsa, most prominently garlic. _Do they think I'm vampire!?_

"Your people are well stocked," Elsa said grimly, acutely reminded of the shortages in Arendelle due to _her_ unnatural winter.

"Those coming your way, are long expired...rotten so to speak."

Elsa though not hit yet, she was dismayed by the raging the public hate towards her to retreat. She bravely stood her ground against the demonstrators.

Nearby, rows of cavalry awaited; these would have charged down the demonstrators if ordered. But the demonstrators largely avoided scuffling with the authorities and the authorities acted indifferent though their high ranking guest was rudely pelted.

The weird coexistence between law and anarchy almost reeked of a chilling agreement; _focus your anger where we want you to and we won't interfere. _This almost appeared officially sanctioned.

Despite the din, Elsa heard the Duchess. "We've been _suppressing_ it days before you arrived. We had to 'smuggle' you through the night in a discreet route. Similar demonstrations are happening in many other countries of the South even without you entering them to provoke."

A rotten egg smashed on Elsa's face. This was the first object that made a direct hit.

"Queen Elsa!" General Ionus and his security team charged towards to glass doors that separated them.

The Duchess neatly stepped in between, halting the Arrendelle men. Her expression challenged them. They stood down.

The Duchess grinned. "This is the world that's unfolding around you, Queen Elsa" _A world that will consume you, poor girl..._ "My brother never meant to renew the trade agreement with you. He played along so he could see the famed beauty of the Snow Queen himself...and try to 'experience' it..." she licked her lips.

Welcome to the South."

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"Great aim with the egg! Where did you say you're from, _lad_?" a demonstrator inquired.

The 'Lad' blinked. _If only I could narrate my tale..._

'_I spent a chunk of my teens on this miserable fortress island at the edge of the Southern Isles, away from the palace._

_Almost two months ago, I got my ass kicked out of a North kingdom. I nearly married their Princess, killed their Queen, and nearly became king._

_Do I regret it? I regret __**failing**__ though..._

_Do I want another go? Don't be daft...it isn't easy to __**con **__the same folks twice. Their Queen isn't that stupid. She's also very dangerous..._

_Do I hate __**her**__? Well she did irk me back then...always so stoic, melodramatically tragic, acting like the world is toxic, despite being in a job post I find oh so terrific...am I rhyming?_

_Now she's a living monument to my failure._

_Will she be a pawn, obstacle or another pebble by the path...albeit a real shiny attractive pebble—_

"Ahem!" he interrupted his thoughts too vocally.

"Allergic to garlic?"

"What!?"

_Today, stopping at your fine country, unusually for once at a stop on a ship that made too many stops, I was made to disembark. Ship's owner said a speedy non-stop journey back to the Isles just to deliver me was too wasteful, hence many lengthy by-the-way detours to justify the cost._

_Even said my family wouldn't notice my absence anyway. The cur!_

_As I was escorted somewhere, four sturdy guards around me fell. I wish I was that awesome with my hands tied (which isn't now) ...I wish I wasn't targeted by four assassins...__**I wish I knew why I was targeted!**_

_Oh and I'm a prince, at least I believe I still am...'_

None of that was uttered. All he said was "Got more eggs?"

"Have the whole basket. That's my stinkiest batch!"

_Stinkiest isn't a word, peasant...is it? _ "Thanks!" Another direct hit, the crowd roared. _That felt good! I could spend the day throwing garbage at her._

"The 'Lad' started, "So what brought on this festival of hate?"

The other man eyed him curiously. _Probably one of those new generation of kids who spent too much time reading nonsense to go outdoors. What did they call them? Geed? Nerk?_

He told the 'Lad' anyway whose face drained at the explanation.

The 'Lad' scribbled something and passed to the man. "Pass this to this address," _you won't understand what's written anyway._ "You'll be rewarded."

Then the 'Lad' spotted the four assassins he evaded earlier by diving and blending into the dense crowd. He excused himself to squeeze his way away from them.

"Make way! Food Inspector!" the killers tried parting the crowd as they weave their way towards the 'Lad'.

"I love demonstrations!" the Rotten Egg Provider gushed.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

The Arendelle security detail moved their Queen off the balcony to an unassuming carriage. General Ionus sent a grander looking carriage out as decoy.

"To our flagship!" he commanded.

Elsa gazed sadly out her speeding carriage. ""Why is this happening!? It's like half the Continent hates me, while many are secretly suspicious. I thought we cleared the air with others after the Thaw?"

"We did your majesty." Ionus said. "With exception of _**two**_parties, everyone else parted on cordial terms. We were diligent in our cover ups, information dissemination and diplomacy. We expected some frictions or suspicions, but huge demonstrations and openly negative press!? Especially nations of the South... This isn't even the Southern Isles yet!"

Elsa sighed. Happily Ever After lasted barely two weeks. To pre-empt and counter negative reactions to the Winter, Elsa insisted on the diplomatic tour. It was also necessary to re-establish old ties and establish new ones since Arendelle's three years monarch-less hiatus.

Anna had to be physically held down from joining her.

"Next time," Elsa coaxed, or prudent excuses like "You're next in line so I need you to stay in case something happens to me."

With the Princess' years of honed playful sneaking, stunts, climbing and resourcefulness, she even nearly sneaked into the flagship unnoticed by Elsa. Anna's note in her bedroom dutifully informing Kai/Gerda of her departure was how the Queen found out.

Anna thought Elsa was already onboard; not looking for her for one more goodbye. Elsa was exasperated (though inwardly pleased with her sister's perseverance to keep her company.); _despite accusations of clumsiness her sister was near ninja!_

"Nobody blames you your majesty. Our ministers were unanimously supportive. We've had many successes; trade deals, joint ventures and more. We've even made allies who may help us weather this storm.

But I insist we return... My apologies, there are no cloths to clean the egg mess off your face. You may have my jacket to wipe."

"It's okay." Without changing her staring-out-into-space posture, the liquid mess on Elsa's face froze brittle solid. Elsa hit herself shattering the mess cleanly off her face.

Elsa winced. _Ow, punched myself too hard..._ "The Southern aristocrats are mentally conditioning their population."

"Pardon?"

"Common folks wouldn't have gotten this bad by themselves."

"Well folks in the South **were **always suspicious of magic..."

"The South nations have a hidden agenda and they're rallying their people to –"

Several things occurred instantly; their carriage swerved to dodge this crazy redhead guy and his four pursuers that bolted out of nowhere. In avoiding them the carriage hurtled towards a young girl too shocked to move.

Very rapidly, an ice ramp formed in front of the child. The carriage cornered on the ramp so swiftly, Elsa was ejected out.

Seconds later, Elsa blinked. _Looks like I conjured that cornering ramp on time! Carriage stopped but okay, little girl okay. Looks like everyone is __**okay**__... _the Queen looks at her scraped bloody elbow, _except me..._

Elsa approached the girl. "Are you okay?"

"Witch!" the child screamed, threw the pile of leaflets she carried at Elsa. This alerted the crowd to Elsa and they charged at her.

Elsa, too startled, only opened her mouth. Then she shut it.

"Okay, that's enough being heroine today your majesty!" Ionus pulled her back into the carriage.

The carriage outran the demonstrators to the docked Arendelle flagship.

"Umm, you're biting something." Ionus commented.

"I wanted to see what it was," Elsa took the paper from between her lips. A leaflet to be distributed; "Beware Arendelle's Magical WMD!" the words on it incited.

"This – This isn't so much anti-Arendelle demonstrations as it is anti-Elsa. They're using me as an excuse!"

Her breathing now laboured and rasp "I – I just wanted to do good by our people...by my parents. Nurture a kingdom my sister and I could happily call home.

Why am I hated for this!? No I'm hated for my powers...

I know now another reason why father told me to always conceal! It wasn't just for me, but to protect our people as well. I've dragged the whole kingdom into this!" Elsa froze the paper and crushed it to smithereens.

The aged general looked solemnly at her.

"No Elsa... Arendelle is proud of you. I'm proud of to see you grow up to the woman you are today. Your parents would be too.

You've shown grace and restraint. Never once in the tour did I see you use your powers callously even when you could. I would have put those demonstrators under six feet of snow..."

Elsa peeked up from the palms where she buried her face and smiled. "And worse demonstrations will rage if I did."

"It may be a long hard road. You may not even convince everyone out there, but I believe in you, the good you hope to accomplish. Eventually, hopefully, they'll come to accept you.

Lie low for now. The South nations will ignore you and return to their favourite pastime; bickering with each other. Hopefully this cools off and you'll be last season's hot news," he said as the carriage neared their ship.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

These were one of those times Hans Westergard was actually grateful for those years of practice sprinting from his brothers since childhood. But his deadly pursuers were a persistent lot; they chased him from the city square to the marketplace to the pier.

Even the extra distance between him and them wasn't enough; they had crossbows. Hans barely fend off the incoming bolts with the longest and toughest baguette he could nick off the marketplace. "Don't waste food," his sensible mother would have said, hence the bitten baguette was part defence part breakfast.

Strategically positioned and well timed, Hans dropped the eggs in the basket he still held one at a time. _It's okay mother, they're rotten eggs. _The assassins were skilful – but eventually they slipped and crashed on the slick trail of broken eggs behind Hans.

The Prince couldn't help but turn back and gloat a bit. "Ha! You should see your faces because you look –"

Because he wasn't watching his feet, Hans stepped on a fate-changer at the edge of the pier and the sea. His world suddenly became more salty, wet and liquid.

The Banana Peel of Destiny struck. Fates of nations will never be the same.


	2. The Roach

**Arendelle flagship, three days at open sea from Vaden:**

Elsa reread the letter from Anna. The last paragraph can be distilled as "Get back now! Miss you. PS. your acting Head of Security is slowly snuffing me out." _Oh Anna stop being so dramatic..._

_I need espressos. All this post-Thaw politics and responsibilities are messy, stressful...and getting worse. It's like the world is conspiring to bury me under work, pressure and now rejection and hate._

_How many monarchs get it bad like I do? Not many because they didn't unleash deadly winters in summer..._

_I've had like what – two hours sleep last night? And filled with nightmares of being chased by mobs with pitchforks and torches...climaxed by __**that**__ dastard redhead in full armour and red cape trying to stab my back as the world burned around me...at least he didn't have sideburns in that nightmare. At least I won't be seeing him again!_

_Why did they wake me for again? Something about rats? Do they really need a queen? Don't I have enough to handle as it is? Working endlessly throughout the tour to please and appease nations that slam their doors in my face... Can't they just get the ship quartermaster for that?_

Elsa stepped into her office that connected her bedroom. She was too tired to change out of her flimsy pyjamas. It wasn't very opaque, but it sure was cooling in the summer nights. _Got to act like normal people outside Arendelle_, she told herself, _so no 'special' air-conditioning. _There wasn't supposed to be anyone in her office anyway.

Oh great. They caught a rat and presented it to her. **THE** Rat...tied up to a chair in front of her desk.

"What the - ," she rubbed her head as she sat down. This wasn't a dream.

His eyes widened as it followed her. Is she half awake? Does she usually greet people wearing this? Sure the famous/infamous leg slit on her Ice Gown was the buzz of many towns, as far as early female 19th century fashion was concerned. Some hailed her a trend setter, avant garde, ahead of her time. Some puffy conservatives were less flattering; called her a slutty. But this near translucent pyjamas took the cake.

"Hey," Hans greeted. Unfortunately the inflection in his voice accidentally sounded flirtatious.

"I cast you out of my kingdom and you're back on my ship! You're like some hard to kill cockroach!"

"Good morning to you too, Pebble."

_What did you call me? _"Why are you on my ship?" Elsa asked sternly.

Hans frowned.  
_I thought it was a smashing idea to lose my killers in mobs of rioting demonstrators outside this one ship. I slipped and swam as I was being rained with bolts. I had no idea whose ship I climbed. Obviously the guards were too overwhelmed by the riot. Obviously a VIP ship would be better than some ship where the assassins could enter and exit like public toilets._

_I was going to get off soon. Then a poisoned bolt on my ass greeted me. I nursed the wound and poison out, then hid myself and knocked out. When I woke up I was in this room._

All Hans said was "Could you perhaps drop me off your next stop?"

"We'll be at open sea heading North till Arendelle." Elsa skimmed through the morning paper on her desk as she sipped her coffee. _I've got urgent business to attend back home that you don't need to know. _"You can have a wooden plank if you're in a hurry to get off. "

_Tied to this chair and forced to SIT...my ass is killing me, _he winced. "I request asylum."

"Denied."

"Oh well I tried."

"And from what?"

_Right she hasn't heard I've been targeted._

Elsa picked up a report document. "So I heard you've been targeted."

_Busted. _"Yeah Arendelle assassins."

"You're a clown."

_Let's see if this works _"Quite the schemers aren't you; symbolic public gesture of sending me back then getting people to kill me en-route."

"Marvellous idea!" she beamed sarcastically. "No one actually knows you're onboard my ship too."

_Backfired...But _"Sure somebody's not acting behind your back, your majesty?"

"Kindly prove this fantasy of yours." Elsa challenged. Hans fell silent and looked down.

_Aaand he looks to my bust for an inspired answer..._thought Elsa. _Wait what!? God was I wearing this ratty jammies in front of him all this while!? I've got to nap my brains back to functionality after this. _

She conjures an opaque ice shawl over her. Yet he still stares. _Could you please stop staring at my breasts!?_

As if reading her thoughts, Hans looked up to her eyes. His expression was one of shock. Elsa grimaced, _Oh c'mon, my chest isn't that bad. Some rubbish celebrity gossip magazine claimed it was "C'est Magnifique!"_

Hans stared past her head. "Xinertian Empire declared war on Southern Isles?"

Elsa sighed. _Oh you we're looking at the article on the newspaper below my chest. Okay awkward..._"Oh that," _Oh wait THAT!_ _That is why I'm sent out letters for an emergency summit back in Arendelle. Will anyone respond?_

Two weeks ago, Xinertia 'requested' to unfettered access for a part of the Southern Isles; Draken Peninsular.  
The answer was NO.

**One;** barely years ago both were at war; they had always been at war. If your nemesis asks to camp out at your lawn with their armoury you laugh and say no.

**Two;** it's THE lawn; From Draken Peninsular, the Southern Isles historically controlled the major sea lanes between the North and the South. Other routes sucked; either much longer or rougher terrain.

But really, how safe would you be if vicious brutes camp just outside your front door? Draken Peninsular was too close to the SI Home Islands to be under unfriendly occupation.

The strategic Peninsular greatly benefitted the Southern Isles but had to be fiercely defended with their not as massive but efficient navy, army and marines (one of the few nations to have it due to the amphibious nature of traversing a kingdom of islands).

**Three;** that said nemesis has a crappy history of occupying other people's lawns, edging gradually into the house then taking over the whole property. When you appeal for mercy, they'd laugh and say no.

Negotiations broke down, the ultimatum expired, and the upcoming war's outcome is foregone; akin to a tiger (Xinertia) vs. a lemming (the Southern Isles). Nobody betted on the lemming.

Previously to even the odds, it would be a Southern alliance of lemmings, hamsters, rats and mice vs. that tiger. But when fellow rodents abandon the lone lemming, the odds are laughably lopsided.

It's the aftermath that worried the North.

Draken Island, in addition to being a controlling naval choke point between North and South, was an excellent forward or launching base to the nations of the North. North nations didn't have to love the current owner, but if the new management is a mighty Empire infamous for being aggressive, expansive and ardent North-hater...

The North has to brace itself.

"Get me back to the Southern Isles, or drop me somewhere I can get back!" Hans begged.

"No. This is a one way trip to Arendelle."

Hans bit his lip. Then it occurred to him. "You have to stop at the next nearest port –"

"No."

"There's a storm up ahead your route! Detour to a port till it passes!"

"I'm up to date with my navigator and captain," she said firmly. "There's only mild rain."

"This isn't just ANY storm! This is _the_ one that killed your parents three years ago! It appears this time of the year where you're headed! Trust me we at the Southern Isles are familiar!"

"You're beyond pathetic invoking my dead parents to detour this ship," Elsa hissed. Ice raced past her feet and toppled the chair Hans sat on. Tied to it, he fell.

"Oops" Elsa expressed sarcastically. "You need rest. This ship's prison is most accommodating."

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**A dark dingy room, undisclosed kingdom:**

"Decoded the text?"

The person nodded, "It says: _'__...subject capable of very rapid cooling effects and able to materialize 'ice' even in environments lacking water..._"

"Old news."

"If you've gotten the whole '_Frozen Report_' instead of a few ragged page scraps –"

"We've lost people trying to acquire those 'scraps', even if you hadn't noticed how blood stained the torn pages were."


	3. Shiny Blue Pebble

_Accommodating prison my posterior_, Hans figured. _If I had to review the prisons I've been so far:_

_Arrendale Dungeon__  
Pros : Roomy, spacious, historical/vintage feel if you're into medieval stuff.  
Cons : Cold, even in summer. Old and creepy.  
Hospitality : Rough, otherwise mostly non-existent.  
Comment : Will not want to return. Unfortunately..._

_Some Southerner's Ship__  
Pros : Great view of the sea, airy.  
Cons: Cramped, no privacy, even for nature calls, save for an itty bitty makeshift partition. Toilet is a bucket which could hardly be held down in rough seas.  
Hospitality : Staff intentionally deaf...and blind, uncommunicative. Food sucks. The cat has better, too bad it eats out of arms reach._

_Arendelle Flagship__  
Pros : Owner is hot. Too bad she never visits. Good privacy.  
Cons : Dark, dank, lonely, claustrophobic, stinks too.  
Hospitality : What hospitality!? Self-service obviously, except you can't go out.  
Comment : May be out of business soon via capsizing...Or not. It's been two days without incidence..._

_Hans Westergard, prison reviewer, has quite a ring to it_. He was bored..._and cold_. No one heeded his warnings of a coming storm. Hans himself started to lose belief in it after two days. It wasn't just to get them to dock somewhere; he was in danger too being on the same ship. He was prepared for to escape when docked. Prior to being discovered onboard, Hans had subtly sabotaged the prison doors and readied for his escape in case he was recaptured, which did happen.

Sure the boat rocked a bit, but least up was still up, down still down, thought Hans. Things got steadily worse but no cause for worry right? Take his prison guard for example, who had dozed off on a chair. When the ship tilted, the man on his chair slid down the end of the corridor. No worries.

Like a giant seesaw, the ship tilted back but at a much greater angle than before. The guard and his chair tumbled back to Hans' end of the corridor. The man was now awakened but briefly before being knocked out by colliding with furniture. Hans was more concerned this time. He helped himself to the prison keys on the guard now within reach. If the ship was going down, he didn't want to be locked in it.

There were few oddities outside;

First, it was freaking cold outside. This wasn't sea cold yet strangely familiar. It then made sense why the last door outside was jammed shut and had to be hacked open with an axe (which he also intended as his escape weapon).

Second, was the magnificent view; dark gloomy skies with pulsating flashes of lightning that sounded like artillery bombardment. Rain flew from all directions, not just top to bottom. The foamy blackened sea were ugly spikes of waves some as high as the ship itself with promise of getting higher.

One look of the outside in two days was enough for him. Hans slunk back inside...

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

Minutes later Hans returned outside padded like Eskimo, with spiky boots and an axe. Contrastingly his unconscious guard became less clothed.

There she was in the middle of the ship's upper deck, in sitting cross legged in a Zen/yoga-like meditation pose, even closed her eyes as if in deep concentration. A large version of her signature snowflake pattern glowed beneath where Elsa sat, channelling to power to maintain ice around the ship.

...Except the ship wasn't so much a ship as it was a geometrically sophisticated iceberg with the ship was encased deep within it.

Hans admired the massive crystalline construct around him. _Where did she learn such impressive storm-combating design? This damned woman..._

The Prince very grappled unsteadily but silently towards her. Even the ship-ice platform was barely a match for multi-storey high waves and a sea that refused to remain flat or horizontal.

Elsa's eyes were tightly shut with furrowed brows. Her expression as if in painful struggle against a sea that battered at the ice platform; she barely kept up regenerating the ice against the waves that impacted ever increasing cracks and devoured elephant size chunks of ice away.

Hans latched himself to a mast. _Where's everybody? _

Did Elsa send them inside because you'd thought they'll be safer from your powers inside?_ Were you afraid that you may lose control again because you're sooo stressed up now?_

_Sadly, I doubt even your FULL powers would match Mother Nature's madness now._

_And they're all obediently stuck inside believing this was the best for them. They can't even get out now that you've entombed them in wooden debris and ice._

Hans smiled maliciously, _Oh my, isn't this familiar. Back then I had to trick into grieving that you've killed your own sister, so you would be too distracted to defend from me._

He gripped his axe. _Denied me passage back did you? You're sooo vulnerable now. Just like then..._


	4. Let me try this

Elsa's nose itched. She sneezed, which hardly happened because she never got cold. Her eyes snapped open. She crossed her eyes looking at a stick coming towards her nose.

Hans is squatting down repeatedly poking her nose with the axe butt like a child poking a curious object with a stick. His other hand wiped a layer of ice she sneezed to his face.

Elsa may have wanted to physically assault him, but she couldn't. She was unwilling to break her yoga meditation pose. Somehow became the most efficient and only way her exhausted body could channel her waning powers to keep up the ice against the winds and waves. Thankfully no one was around to see her earlier experimental and dancey moves hours earlier, which though had some effect, wore her down quickly. She had sent everyone inside for their own safety – from her, in case she lost control.

The storm was simply too intense and fearsome. Whether her men obeyed her by remaining inside the decks or they simply stuck inside after the ship was entombed in ice, she didn't know.

When Hans provoked her, Elsa only furiously glared at him. His emerald green eyes flickered with mischief; _Storm, told you so,_ it seems to say. Her aquamarine blue eyes replied; _Shut up._

"Can't move? Stuck in position?"

She didn't answer. If she moved too much or out of position, the whole protective ice structure keeping them alive would fall apart instantly. She doubted she had the energy and chance to rebuild it. It was strenuous enough as it is now; she could barely concentrate with her tired and sleep and food deprived body screaming to shut down since hours ago.

"Stop provoking me! It's suicidal to ALL of us if I can't maintain this!"

"So you _can_ talk..."

"How did you get out!? Did you just rob my office for escape provisions?!"

"De kitchen is no longer accessible thanks to de ice. So can you even move to scratch an itch?"

Elsa kept silent. Before Hans attempted anything, the ship tilted suddenly at a crazy angle. He rolled off to the side. Elsa had wisely fastened herself to the deck with her ice, so she stayed in position.

Hans crawled and clawed his way back to her. His head was slightly bloodied. _There's no escaping this ship in this vicious storm._

Elsa glared at him. "You're truly like an un-killable cockroach."

He leaned forward and whispered huskily beside her ear. "I think you need help,"

She nearly jumped. _Would people stop licking my ears!? _Her eyes got hot and teary from the frustrating torment of keeping up with the storm and now this!

The Queen looked horrified between his evil smile and the thing he held. "Don't you dare," she warned.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"Now," he said. "be the good girl you've always have to be."

"Don't call me that," she seethed.

"Comply!" Hans Westerguard, Prince of Southern isles, former marine major (demoted) commanded.

"I refuse." Elsa, Queen of Arendelle said firmly.

"You know you need it," he said seductively.

"You call this help!?" Elsa fired back. Hans pushed something at her. "Noo..." she protested weakly.

"C'mon, you love it..." he spoke in a lusty dirty voice.

"Please don't..." she whimpered.

"Damn it Elsa! Just take it already!" he chastised. He shoved it into her.

Elsa made a muffled cry.

"Another!" Hans pressed.

The queen shuddered while moaning in ecstasy.

Hans scrunched his face. _Oh c'mon, this is exaggerating. It can't be that good! _He shivered looking at her.

"One more time." he stated.

She shook her head, her eyes teary.

"Ok fine if you're not, then I am!" Hans lost his patience.

"Wait no!" she screamed.

Hans stopped midway.

"Save some for Anna!"

Hans looked suspiciously at them.

"No you don't know Anna. She can...take ...a lot," she cringed.

Hans shook his head from fantasising if _that_ was Elsa's reaction what Anna's would be. "Look this is a life and death situation. You need it more than her! Seriously don't you feel a lot better now?"

"Fine," Elsa lowered her head in surrender. "Just do it already," she said weakly. "I can't do it myself with my arms occupied."

"Trust me you need the calories," he grumbled.

"Those are very rare expensive foreign delicacy chocolates."

"I'm sure all this has been really taxing on you. I can't help you with sleep deprivation and sore muscles but getting you sustenance I can."

"Thanks." Elsa mumbled between munching.

"They're tasty," he remarked. She glared at him. "What? I was testing it earlier...When we're done the only souvenir left for Anna will be me." He chuckled. She stared incredulously at him. _Oh gods why does he keep saying weird stuff around her_. He wasn't this uncool with her the last time. _Blame in on motion sickness! Yeah say it's that!_

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Hidden Location in some nation:**

"What have we got?"

"_...Subjects 'Ice' has higher than normal melting point, impervious to summer sun. These 'Ice' formations can be maintained indefinitely..."_

"The most sought after document in the Continent, and we only got one measly torn piece."

"Be thankful we even know of the Frozen Report's existence. Only select few mortals heard of it."


	5. The Haunting Past

"Hans slow down!"

"No," he grinned.

"I can't take anymore!"

"I've still got plenty of sugar for you! Look, it's doing wonders to your 'thingy'!"

He was right. Elsa was just as surprised to find out this aspect of her. The magic extending for her, previously anaemic and glowing diseased red, now came out steadily with gusto and a healthier of blue.

Too absorbed in saving everyone, she didn't realise how hungry she was. Yet the confectionary her fed her seemed to work incredibly well, she supposed compared to other food.

"It's like you're fuelled by chocolates!" he beamed.

_Great, first people think I'm a monster_, Elsa thought. _Now I'm an ice churning machine powered by chocolates._

"Slow down when you feed me!" Elsa said. "I'm not Anna. The girl can swallow half a tray of it and still sing!"

"Really!?"

"It's like she's a cartoon character..."

Hans was slightly amazed. More amazingly, he was having what he liked to imagine as a friendly banter with Elsa, not fake conversations like previously or arguing like days ago.

"While it's definitely a lucky guess on your part of the effectiveness of chocolates, why didn't you get me _less_ exquisite stuff, or less expensive. You think of your stay here is 'free-off-charge', but couldn't you have gotten me bread, chicken, cheese—"

"You froze the kitchen to inaccessibility. Oh how I would have love to feed you a fat juicy sausage and—", Elsa's glare pierced Hans, making him pause. "Uh, I mean – never mind."

"I hate you." The magic from Elsa glowed red and shades of ominous dark burgundy crept into the ice.

Hans feigned ignorance to his surrounding changes. "Good! Channel that hate into keeping us afloat!"

Since the ship was constantly in all kinds of motion, or so Hans blamed for his bad aim at feeding her, Elsa had chocolate comically over her mouth and face. He even poked her eyes with chocolate once. Elsa was unsure if he was having fun, helping her out or both.

"Seriously your eyes are too big. It's hard not to accidentally poke them!" he argued. "And your mouth's too small."  
_It's like YOU are a cartoon character. _"I've probably haven't been in such an unsteady environment since my mother's womb!"

"What did your mother," she smirked, "do while conceiving you—Mmmph!"

Hans shoved a truffle into her mouth to shut her up.

By sheer willpower and understanding of priorities, she didn't smack his head. _Just conceal, don't feel don't let the ship sink. No forget the conceal part_. So instead she glared furiously at him with heated moist eyes.

"You know," Hans began, "I remember one time at the zoo where I had some peanuts –"

"Silence," the Queen decreed. It was likely going to be a story of monkeys and feeding.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

With her eyes closed, Hans couldn't discern if Elsa was asleep. For one magic still trickled from her. _Is she doing this like sleepwalk?_ _Or maybe just in meditative concentration?_ Compared to her struggling and pained expressions earlier, this now was peaceful and angelic. Something he's once seen when carrying her unconscious back from the ice palace.

Hans had nothing to do presently. He had nothing to feed her. He had gotten tired of drawing moustaches, eyebrows, pirate patches and whatnots on her unconscious face with chocolate. He removed some but not all of the ice above a hatch to the lower deck, but still he wedged a large stick jamming it shut so that he could control when they get out if he needed their help.

Hans recalled THE ITEM he hid in Arendelle. His gloved hands wriggled as if playing piano on air, the gears of his mind brain. _Maybe escaping will have to wait..._

Hans noticed an incoming titanic wave "Uh Elsa..." Her unconscious head swayed with the motions.

"ELSA!" he shouted. He slapped her.

Too late –

He flicked her wrist at the wave like one would a ketchup bottle hoping the sauce flies out.

When the flash of blue hit it, the massive wave became a towering ice edifice that knocked and bobbed ominously away.

Hans stared at her wrist. _The cut from two months ago was gone. _He held her hands in his far longer than he noticed, until was a severe pain made him release her.

"Holy Flakes!"Elsa woke up with a jolt. She looked at herself – still fully clothed. _Good._ She looks at Hans.

He looked like he took part in a horror play. Chunks of ice had broken off from above and rained on them. She was awakened by a fist sized one; he got a head sized one to his head.

"Stay awake or the ice CRACKS off," he analysed as the blood trickled down his face.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Arendelle:**

Princess Anna sneezed. It echoed in the empty castle hall. _What happened to promise of open gates? _Now the castle was shut pretty tight. Security was multiplied and stifling. Her dates with Kristoff, when she was allowed out were heavily escorted. They now hardly meet and hardly had any privacy.

Anna felt as if a mobile fence of men surrounded her when she exited the castle

Olaf? 'They' wanted to 'look' at him. _They're experimenting on him!_

The castle hummed with activity but mundane administration stuff and though bustling with people going in out they were often busy.

_Let's slide down the spiral handrail of the stairs – again._

_I know she'll say; "If the personal insurance people ever knows of your crazy antics the premium will cost a limb!" or "You know Anna, its' ironic that I've tried so hard in the past to distance myself to protect you and you're a daredevil stuntwoman."_ But she's isn't here. Elsa won't be for weeks, Anna sighed.

When she zipped through the ballroom on the way to the stairs she caught on to something.

"And this spot is where the Great Queen Elsa," Anna imagined herself a tour guide to nobody in particular, "debuted her powers to world, fittingly during her coronation party. Now that IS a debut. What she did? Oh just materialised a very spiky ice barricade around this exit. As you can see the marks still ..."

Strange Anna thought. The ice had thawed away left a mark. It didn't look like marks ice would make.


	6. Please Die

"I suggest you do NOT attempt _that_!" Elsa warned.

Hans stopped his open palm in mid-swing; Elsa was about to nod off again, and slapping was _his_ way of ensuring she doesn't.

"It will be counterproductive to keeping this ice fortress afloat," she said. "You also don't want to incur my wrath."

"Then don't fall asleep! You'll fall off your stance!" Hans retorted. "We'll sink if you do!"

"I CAN'T HELP IT!" she cried. "I have not slept the whole night! Pushing this magic out hurts so much! And I've been doing it for hours..." her voice cracked and trailed at the end.

_Why won't the storm relent? Why won't the world stop hating me? Why is it always this hard for me? Even if I'm the only one who can save everybody, I can't do this anymore..._

In the cold, Hans drew a sharp breath then exhaled mist. The pain in her voice was evident. She looked the part, haggard and very pale. Despite the frailty, she is a vision of a vulnerable beauty.

Hans lowered his head. _I know...You've tried your best didn't you? You're way past your limit and breaking point didn't you? You tried really hard for yourself, for them...even I'm alive now because of you._

Without a word he stood up. Elsa dejected watches his back leaving her.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

Sounds of objects crashing jolted Elsa up from the umpteenth bout of drowsiness she fought to keep at bay.

Barrels rolled and bounced around the upper deck. In midst of the rubble, rose Hans.

Elsa was sure it wasn't his intention to play human bowling. He gingerly got to his feet, slipped again, rise again. A massive wave engulfed the deck. Hans dropped a canister. It nearly went overboard. He dived after it and hit his head.

But he caught it. He fumbled back up, grappled and crawl his way back to her.

"Why?" she said hoarsely.

"How do I look?" he said standing before her.

Elsa blinked. _Should this be the time to be concerned of appearances? He was a wet mess of salt water, puke and blood. 'Uncool' she was tempted to answer him._

Hans deliberately turned to face another wave. "Better?" he asked after the water washed off, his hair slicked back.

"Absolutely."

"Only your office and my prison are accessible. You won't _want_ anything from my prison." He opened the canister towards her. "Drink it."

"What is it?" she sniffed.

"You can't smell it?"

"No. My nasal passage is blocked and my chest is tight."

It was then Hans realised her nose turned blue. So were parts of her face, hands and body. Wavy patterns of frost interspersed her body. This phenomenon was discomfortingly familiar; like Anna before freezing.

"It's coffee. To keep you awake."

Elsa tilted her head frowning. _Pilfering from my office again..._She took an apprehensive sip and winced. "It's cold – and salty."

"Excuse me for not having fire powers. As for the saltiness..."

Elsa's eyes widened. _He couldn't be so disgustingly sadistic could he?_

Hans rolled his eyes. "Geez, it's **sea water**! Where were you expecting the salty liquid to come from?" He took a sip too. "Convinced now?"

Elsa, too tired to argue drank it as Hans tilted the canister carefully to match her consumption.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"Is there something wrong with me?" Elsa's eyes are still droopy despite the coffee.

Hans had entrenched himself with sailing ropes to be near her without toppling out to sea. He didn't even glance when he answered. "Nope."

"Sure?"

Hans stared at the very blue Elsa. "Yes. You look great, beautiful like a lone flower swaying in the unforgiving storm. Satisfied?"

Elsa chuckled but stopped since it hurt.

"So...," Hans engaged her in conversation to keep her awake and distract her from the frost creeping on her. "You have the looks to be hit at parties, but are you still a downer at one?"

Elsa scowled. "I'm getting better. Thank you for asking"

Hans mocked Elsa's voice, "Only I don't dance. I don't sing. I like standing stiffly and watching the crowd enjoy. I make safe boring conversations –"

"I don't sound like that." _Was he ensuring she stayed awake by irritating her? And I do SING._

Elsa's head bowed. Hans caught her by the chin and lifted her to his gaze.

"Can you go on?" He felt guilty asking her_. It was killing her now as it is. I can't even tell if its tears or seawater in her eyes. Has she ever used so much magic for so long before? Has she ever held such a pose for so many hours?_

"I –" she couldn't answer. Her will was very near broken.

Hans tried to mask his pained expression from her. _If you don't we die_, he almost wanted to scream at her. _Am I feeling guilty for requesting her to struggle on?_

He spoke gently, "Hey, if you survive this I guarantee you would have one hell of a party story; this one today.

She smiled. Tired, she leaned her face into his palm.

"This is what continuing to live your life does for you. It enriches you with stories to tell. It enriches _your_ story."

Elsa took a deep breath.

"You'd be Elsa the legendary at parties. Just imagine how much cold drinks they can have with you around."

She chuckled and tiredly shook her head.

"Just imagine Anna claiming that with her beloved sister, never again will chocolates melt in summer parties."

Elsa's eyes flickered. _Yes, Anna. We've just reunited. I can't do THIS to her! I can't let the same damned storm rob my sister off another loved one! I WILL not be parted from her again! _

"I **will** go on."

Hans smiled. _Good girl...I can't have a crappy ending like this... Though I doubt it, I hope you to live too. You know why soon enough..._

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"I did have some fire skills," Hans' face was solemn.

"Really?" Elsa's mind was foggy. Her eyes drooped to barely open slits.

"A baptism of fire literally; when I was nine, I had quite a knack for combustibles," his eyebrows danced, "I was trying to secretly surprise my mum on her birthday. She's been kind of down for awhile. My 9th brother and I was in the kitchen. 'No don't put that put in this, put in that, do this not that' he instructed back then.

That scoundrel presented a splendid breakfast on bed to our mother. Later, she got my version of it. The whole palace wing did. What a feast, a fiery hell's kitchen! Fire-fighters said the palace hadn't got it this bad since the siege generations ago.

There was a noticeable drop in food standards for weeks much to my other brothers and other palace occupants' chagrin though mother was more forgiving. On the plus side the palace implemented improved fire safety protocols."

Elsa's body ached as she laughed. Hans told increasingly embarrassing stories of himself to keep her awake. To this day Hans still suspects the 9th tricked him. But it kindled a budding interest into science and chemistry.

"When I was eight, this girl..." he stalled.

"Go on,"

"I don't remember before nine..." Hans realised.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"Hold me."

"Huh?" Hans barely heard Elsa. He too was halfway to dreamland.

"I'm falling. I can't fall from this pose (sitting cross legged yoga meditation style) ...or this ice keeping the ship from capsizing falls apart."

Hans was oddly reminded by a request to kiss someone in what felt like a lifetime ago. "Is it safe for me?"

"Yes. The magic is channelled from where I sit into the ice."

"From your ass?"

Even if she wanted to, Elsa was too weak to even summon ice to impale him. "From where my body contacts the ice while maintaining this pose." she corrected.

Hans sluggishly got behind her. _You don't get to choose. Either I fall asleep with my head leaning on your boobs or I fall asleep hugging you from behind._

"Can't you choose a less provocative position?" she looks at him expectantly.

He grunted. _Fine you get to choose._

He was sat on the icy floor in front of her. _This pants insulating my ass and balls better hold..._

He leaned forward to let Elsa lean her head on his shoulders.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

The sun emerged slightly above the finally flat horizon. Its soothing light stirred the Prince. He had slept cradling Elsa's head between his arm and shoulder. Calm breeze gently lifting the strands of their hairs. The world slowly filled his hazy senses.

The ice had partly melted off now. Debris everywhere, sails and parts of the masts had been torn off be kept had been torn off. Things were misshapen, torn, broken or dented here and there. There were sounds of men trying to free themselves from inside the ship.

Elsa had, against incredible odds kept the now creaky ship somewhat intact.

"Elsa!" He shook her, swaying her head around as he did, "It's morning. You did it! We're saved!"

If Hans expected the girl in his arms to leap up jubilant and rejuvenated, he's severely disappointed. She was currently as lively as a pile of sheets on him. He shouted, patted her cheeks, slapped her, insulted, threatened her even cajoled her to build snowmen.

No response. He checked her.

He now raced to free the men below decks from the melting ice. "Is there a doctor down there!?" Hans' frantic mind pounded._ What's the point of a doctor?_ _There's no pulse or breath! We're bringing back a royal corpse..._


	7. Report

"Time of death?"

"Yesterday, milady" the man squatting next to the body replied. He was as close as one could pass as a forensic expert in the 1800s.

At a remote beach in **Arendelle **that foggy morning, they found the corpse washed ashore with stab wounds.

"We found this."

Lady Magnesa, a middle aged woman in a dark dress and hat concealing her face, took the pieces of wet paper from the man.

"The Frozen Report..." it dawned upon her. Even in death her agent couldn't acquire the whole volume.

"It's mostly coded. But the date is no mistake, three years ago."

Lady Magnesa didn't let the coincidence that it was the year Arendelle's king's died escape her. _Who could be gathering data on Queen Elsa since then?_

"Initiate Plan Four on the Princess." Magnesa instructed.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**The Ship, open sea:**

Hans stared at the Elsa's lifeless form in disbelief.

It was odd that she was never underwater once and didn't take in any more water than he did. Then again Elsa's physiology was probably unique since there's no one like her.

Elsa looked pale and blue. _Did she drown in her own magic?_

Most people would have declared the Queen dead. But Hans, if he wanted to, wasn't most people.

However he was unsure what sort of first aid to give to her. At their time, resuscitation techniques weren't fully researched yet and effectiveness between them varied wildly. Techniques bordered on ridiculous to those which probabilities of success still hinged on sheer luck.

He remembered something a Southern Isles marine veteran told him years ago in his early teens, when he first entered the military school. Why was he even interested in techniques to save people back then? It was later eclipsed by eagerness for techniques to cause as much harm as efficiently possible.

The veteran mentioned his technique even worked on victims very recently devoid of pulse and breath, but admitted the chances of were laughably slim.

Hans lay Elsa's body flat. He racked his jumbled memory; two hands to compress her heart at a rate he guessed to simulate normal heart beats. _Was it over the clothes or direct skin contact? Not taking chances! _He ripped off the clothes on her chest revealing her bra.

Despite diligently pumping her chest, there was no sign of life. Then he recalled another thing the veteran said. He opened her mouth wide, inhaled deeply and exhaled into hers.

"Hey what are you doing!?" someone pulled Hans away and restrained him.

Hans explained hastily, the man refused to understand. The Prince punched him and rushed back to her.

If Elsa didn't get up by now, she never would. Exasperation and a surge of panic hit him. An unwanted memory surfaced; the last drowned victim Hans wanted to rescue died on him.

_One more_, he thought desperately yet dreaded that no amount of attempts would work_._He inhaled deeply and leaned towards her mouth. Before their lips touched again, a sharp sensation stung at his neck.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"Why don't we let the doctor see to this?" a condescending voice loomed behind Hans.

Hans turned slowly to see who held the sword grazing a fine red line on his neck. He met General Ionus, Arendelle's army's most senior general.

The doctor knelt beside the Queen, "No pulse or breath, body temperature falling" he said grimly.

Ionus narrowed his eyes at Hans in contempt, ""Necrophilia...that's a new low even for you."

"No I was trying to save her!" Hans said urgently. "Please let me! There isn't much time! If not one of you do it!"

"I don't know about you SI people. We in Arendelle treat our royals, even recently deceased ones with respect."

Hans batted the sword aside, wounding his hand. "She's not dead! Can't you see!? Are you all going to let your Queen die!?"

Ionus glowered at Hans.

Hans looked helplessly to the doctor, expecting some support. The physician didn't return his gaze. He was bewildered and focused on Elsa's body.

"I don't understand this...it's beyond my training and experience... The signs are akin to drowning but there wasn't overwhelming water intake," the doctor rambled. "We always knew her majesty was unique."

"Enough of this man's ugly display of disrespect over our Queen's body," Ionus said. "Restrain him."

Two burly soldiers grabbed each side of a struggling Hans. "She still has a chance! You're letting her die!"  
Hans needed Elsa to be alive. He had something in mind for her..._and something else he wasn't quite sure_—

The soldiers slammed his face to a mast to calm him down.

"If you think we'll stand idly as you desecrate her highness' corpse," the General said sternly, "You've got another thing coming."

"No!" the doctor intervened. "I've heard of what he's trying, a resuscitation technique. Let him try!"

Ionus raised his eyebrows sceptically but ordered Hans' release. The Prince bent down with the doctor over Elsa's body.

"Go on!" the aged physician prompted. "Does it look like I have the lung power?" he excused himself.

Hans started again the process of several compressions on her heart followed by a mouth-to-mouth.

"I didn't think it would be this sexy," someone spoke in the background, followed by a "He even gets to touch her majesty's bare chest."

_How sensational can they get? _Hans thought without losing focus. He went for another attempt at her mouth.  
He was blasted and propelled several feet away.


	8. Our Parents

"Welcome back to the world of the living, your highness."

The ship's doctor gingerly patted Elsa's back, unsure what to do since her condition went beyond his medical training.

Elsa, now draped in a blanket to cover her torn clothes than for cold, wheezed and coughed out wisps of blue sparks. The others stared dumbfounded at her, as if an exotic zoo animal was regurgitating an even more bizarre prey.

"Though," the doctor pointed. "I'd say your saviour isn't doing so well."

Through blurry vision, Elsa saw Hans' fallen form slowly recline. She had coughed blasted magic to his face when he tried one last mouth-to-mouth on her. She grabbed a broken stick to prop herself up and walked up groggily to him. The audience puzzled or anticipating something remained passive.

"Your highness, you need to rest," the doctor advised.

Hans considered her troubled expression. _This looks bad._ _That stick looks big. Did she think I violated her?_

Standing over him, Elsa swung the stick back readying it swat Hans' head. In his dazed state, Hans couldn't move as readily as he wanted to.

"Queen Elsa!" the physician held her back. "If you're mad about the ripped clothes and lip contact..." the dramatic 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' from the spectators didn't help. "I assure you he did it to save you, not violate you!"

"I know. But I have to hit him!" she pleaded. She couldn't exactly tell the world her reasons.

Hans, too stunned to move, observed the bizarre exchange. _Elsa wants to attack me!? But not out of anger..._  
His mind churned. _A streak of his hair whitened (by powdery ice), Anna's previously white streak and her memory loss about Elsa's magic, their need to reinforce that loss..._

Before Elsa could say more another fit of coughing magic occurred. The doctor backed away, which she took opportunity to strike.

"Whoa wait it Snow Queen!" Hans held his hand up. "You'll just give me concussion or brain damage," he spluttered. "This is ice, see," he tousled his hair, removing the whiteness and returning it to its original auburn colour.

Elsa squinted at him, her vision still blurry. "Well that's a relief..." Elsa _knew_ she couldn't selectively remove memories of magic from Hans and she couldn't talk about the trolls. But bonking his head to remove two months plus worth of memories, however silly it was, was almost worth a shot compared to certain death.

Whatever scant energy she willed to get herself up and do all that was instantly gone as if she was depowered by flicking her off switch. She fell on his lap with a relieved smile plastered on her unconscious face.

"She got up just for that?" Hans asked in daze.

"Aren't you lucky, our Queen got up despite her condition just to _hit on you_," the doctor said sarcastically.

With the show over, the crowd dispersed. Hans formerly tied up and stripped prison guard glowered over him.

"Help me out. I'm getting frostbite," Hans rubbed the part of his face blasted by Elsa's ice.

"Sure." the guard promptly knocked him out with very stick Elsa dropped.

Ionus stared. "I don't recall the Queen ordering that."

"She didn't say not to either" They both shrugged.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

"I wished someone wrote 'How to be an Effective Villain', and made me read it months ago, "Hans said. "It should have guidelines like these; do not gloat/reveal plans." He facepalmed recalling the time he revealed to Anna his plans by the fireplace two months ago.

His acquaintance didn't respond.

"If plans were stupidly revealed, ensure the audience is dead." Oddly, he was hesitant to kill Anna.He ironically tried to keep his _direct _kill count low in a diabolical scheme. _She did remind him much of someone..._

His acquaintance stared dumbly at him.

"If a pretty girl asks for a kiss, do it!" Hans smacked himself in disbelief that he chose gloating over a free kiss._ It could have been Frenched too!_

"Ahem." Ionus announced his arrival inside the hold. Hans was relocated to a makeshift prison within view of the food storage. "Two days in there and you're conversing with the tuna her majesty inadvertently froze inside the ice during the storm. Clearly you don't fare well in confined solitude."

"I'm bored," said Hans. _Get me a steamy sex novel?_

He felt the past two months of prison surfing were making dents on his sanity and character. Lessened facades of collected calm and calculated charm, more openly snarky and annoying. _Few more years of prison, I may even turn over a new leaf and repent! Subsequently mellow into some nice guy and lose my edge!_

_Is there any point of putting up a sophisticated front with Elsa since she's seen some of my worst traits?_

"While it pains me to part you and the fish," General Ionus said. "I'm here to escort you to the Queen."

_Elsa_, Hans brightened up. _Now that beats a sex novel. Two days since the storm_,_ she's recuperated? Good, I've got some things to ask of her too._

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

A brief stopover at a neutral port wasn't enough to repair the limping vessel.

Despite her physician's protest, Elsa was up and doing magic again. Thanks to her the ship was jury rigged with ice to partial seaworthiness. Parts of the ship (broken pieces, hull, mast etc) were mended, reinforced, glued back or encased by using ice as if it were an incredible magical duct tape or super glue.

It worked. Only Elsa had to be above deck most of the time exerting herself again though nowhere as stressful as during the storm. She argued with the doctor that she'll just power through the next few days till they're back in Arendelle and then she'll safely collapse there.

The doctor muttered grumpily about regrettably losing the sedatives in the chaos of the storm. Hence, for daytime she took residence on the open forecastle deck, lounging around or sitting on a magic ice high back chair, reading books or her work files. The updates gathered during the brief stopover were unpleasantly interesting.

When Hans approached her, the evening sky was orange as the sun dipped west. Elsa sensed he hadwanted to speak to her alone rather than an open public space. Still with the distance others had from them, it was private enough.

Hans was cuffed and guards were ready to pounce on him if he tried anything silly. It was unnecessary; this _was _the Snow Queen after all.

"I'll stand," Hans said. "Sitting on any furniture you make would freeze by ass and groin."

Elsa rolled her eyes. _Maybe somewhere private was better. _She intended to continue the interrogation that was interrupted by the storm. So she settled for chit chat.

"Thank you for what you done for me during the storm," _That wasn't chit chat! Am I still ill?_

To her consternation, Hans yawned in reply. "Sorry. Spent the night having a smashing conversation with this very attentive listener across my room,"

Elsa giggled. "The tuna?!"

"Aren't you supposed to hate me?"

"I still do. But out of your ocean of misdeeds which I won't forget, there's a drop of good deed which I won't dismiss. Even then I suspect you helped me to help yourself. And there was that time at the Ice palace..." _I'm rambling. Yep definitely still unwell, I need rest after this._

Hans didn't reply. It became awkwardly silent while they unwittingly stare at each other.

The Prince was first to break off eye contact, turning to face the sea. _Let's just talk neutral stuff _"Nice weather." _Yeah great start soldier, considering we nearly died in a storm!_

The young Queen gazed at the sea and the amber sky. Gentle breeze played on merrily on their hair and clothes. Her eyes glistened with melancholy. "I've faced and survived the storm that took my parents. I nearly gave up to hopefully meeting them in afterlife. To tell them how sorry I was that I couldn't even attend their funeral, how I couldn't take care of my sister as well as they did and endangered her again..."

Hans held his breath. He contributed a good part to that danger himself.

"I lost mine earlier." Hans said softly. He felt surprisingly uneasy with all this talk of storms and parents.

"I'm sorry."

"I lost my father around eight. My mother heartbroken and ill, died a year later," _How did father die? Why don't I remember!? Why can't I remember before eight!? _He panicked.

"Hans?"

Hans crumpled into a squatting pose clawing his hands into his hair. Talk of parents and storm triggered turmoil in his mind. _No wonder he sensed something dreadfully familiar with the storm. No wonder he was so distressed when trying to resuscitate Elsa!_

Elsa got down and grabbed his shoulders. "Hans are you alright?!" _Is this an act?_

He was hyperventilating and trembling. Tears streamed down his face before he realised,

"I killed my father..."

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Arendelle, evening:**

A couple was trying to have a romantic dinner. Trying hard...

"This is the worst date ever," Anna groaned into her hands.

From their window table, Kristoff surveyed the posh and dimly lit but bright-enough-to-guess-your-meal restaurant. "I thought our last date where I had to be body searched before approaching you was bad. But this time..."

"Probably like a quarter of the restaurant are guards observing us," she spoke with her head still buried in her palms. "...plus guards outside."

Kristoff's exhaled. "And I thought our _acting_ Head of Internal Security couldn't get more paranoid."

"More like Head of _Infernal_ Security. My life is a series of increasingly stifling and oppressive security plans. By _Plan Three_, I've had crazy strict curfews, very limited travel time and area, escorted around, I'm confined to the castle most of the time and even then much of the castle is off-limits! I haven't seen a duck in ages!"

"Let's hope there's no Plan Four—"

"God forbid! Then it would be pretty close to Elsa's pre-coronation life; cooped in a room near 24/7. I'll go insane!" the princess flailed her hands dramatically.

"It's incredible how your sister withstood it for years."

"Beats me – But she did it for me..." Anna's voice trailed to silence before sighing longingly, "I miss her..."

Kristoff held her hands. "She'll be back soon to attend the hastily cobbled ad-hoc Northern Nations summit."

Anna leaned forward and hissed silently to him. "I'm sick of two months being watched and guarded more than Mona Lisa. Let's ditch this place!"

"Who? Nevermind – No wait Anna, remember that time—"

The princess dragged Kristoff along before his senses could react. She marched resolutely to the back of the restaurant until a hulking man in casual clothes got in her way.

"Washroom!" Anna announced haughtily, though a bit too loudly. Kristoff facepalmed.

"Together?" her undercover bodyguard's expression skewed quizzically.

"It's an emergency!" Anna replied too quickly to come up with better excuses. "I order you all to give us a _comfortable_ distance."

Kristoff's protest fizzled before it got out as he bent slightly when Anna elbowed his side a bit too hard.

The bodyguard rolled his eyes and waved them off. _Damn horny youngsters_ _and their pent up_...

Briefly alone at the corridor leading to the loo, Anna diverted swiftly into another room pulling a Kristoff who was still nursing his side.

"Aren't we going to be spotted slipping pass the kitchen and back exit?" the blonde man finally relented to his girlfriend's schemes.

"Which is why," Anna pulled out some clothes and hats. They were in a uniform room. "You're the kitchen helper and I'm the sous-chef."

Keeping their heads low, they walked pass the kitchen with unsuspected until queried by a guard at the backdoor.

"We're out to get more meat, damn today's crowd is extra carnivorous!" Anna put a fake deep gruff voice, most her face obscured by her hat and low back alley light. The inattentive guard nodded and allowed them to proceed.

Later, the couple were at a wider and better lit street with many horse carriages plying about.

Kristoff gripped Anna's hand and smiled to her, "I still think it's a silly idea. They'll revoke any freedom you have left when we get you back to the castle."

"Only until Elsa is back," Anna said confidently. "And no, it was a great idea."

"I think so too."

The voice that agreed came from neither of them. A sharp blow landed behind the Princess's head. A pair of hands grabbed her from falling. Her last sight before it the world went dark was another unknown man approaching Kristoff with a knife.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

**Fifteen years back**:

The King of Southern Isles sailed home, with his 9th son and youngest son, age twelve and eight years respectively.

It was at open sea that they ran into a storm that would in the future be notorious for killing royals and attempting to kill two more very recently.

The 9th prince and others packed and squeezed into a lifeboat that later drifted to a coast. Against the prince and their pleas, the king dashed back into the ship to retrieve his youngest offspring. He found the boy wounded in his leg and cowering in a corner. The king soothed the eight your old telling him they'll be alright as he carried him out.

Heroic as the remaining crews' effort was, the ship capsized and broke up. Anyone still alive grabbed onto any floatation device in hopes they drifted to the coast. Most were washed ashore as corpses. Realising this beforehand, the king assembled what he could for a ramshackle floatation device that barely managed to keep him and the youngest prince alive.

Hours later, with the sea's unrelenting assault, their makeshift floatation raft broke apart. Unable to reassemble it, too exhausted, and realising what was left of it won't hold them both, the father did the last thing he could for his son; he surrendered to the sea.

"Don't let go till you're on land," the King said. Don't let go in life as well. Stay strong. I don't need you to best your brothers at everything. I just need _you _to live healthy, honourably and happy. I love you son..."

His son would later forget his father's last words. The child repressed the traumatic memory. The boy would be broken and never be the same.

**0ooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooo0**

Hans calmed down somewhat after Elsa persuaded him to recount his tale. Or 'let it go' as she coaxed it out of him. 'You'll feel better' or at least that was what she hoped for.

He didn't tell her everything.

Hans didn't tell Elsa how when he and his father were washed ashore, he cried on his unconscious father's body before he stumbled about with his injured leg up and down the shore dazed, stricken, tear-stained and crying for help till some Southern Isles survivors and his brother found him. Hans led them back to his father.

They confirmed their king had passed on. Someone carelessly remarked that the King could have been saved in time if someone with the knowledge and skills had been there with him.

His brother blamed Hans ever since. They all did. A year later when their already ill mother died from grief of losing her husband, they added another insurmountable blame to the 13th child. With his first eight years of memory repressed to cope with the loss, burden of blame and misplaced survivor's guilt, a different personality emerged.


	9. The North the South

_**{Southern Isles = SI = Isles}**_

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

"Will Hans regain his memory prior to age eight?"

"If yes, mere fragments," the doctor replied Elsa, "The biggest being the incident that triggered his memory repression."

"Survivors' guilt?"

"I'm no psychologist," the physician said. "Beyond our early 1800s, there may be answers..."

Elsa sighed. "Our Continent has multistage rocket artillery but neglects advances in psychology."

"Supply and demand; unquenchable demand for killer rockets, especially in the South, not so much for child psychology...If a flick of wrist is capable of mass destruction—I'm sorry your majesty."

Unseen, Elsa shifted her legs uncomfortably. "You may speak freely."

The doctor looks quizzically "Has anyone asked your abilities are confined to just...amusement?"

Elsa scans the empty dining area. "I _have_ been prodded to explore combat applications of my powers."

"They imagine you a living weapon?"

She smiled ruefully. _Living weapon... Just a tad bit better sounding than monster..._

The doctor stood to leave, "Good chat, your majesty. Sadly my memory will 'fail' me of what's been said. May you enjoy the company of the next person."

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

It was the best dinner Hans had in two months; the meal, the setting (not prison) and the company; _alone_ with Queen Elsa of Arendelle – remarkable progress as a prisoner

...and they both dined in you-hear-crickets silence. His excuse would be savouring his best-meal-in-ages. Hers, reading while eating; she propped a report file vertically between them. He stole as many furtive glances of her as he thinks he could get away with. She did a few too, but they never once locked eyes. Elsa noticed Hans' attention often wandered upwards while a hand's fingers danced on the table as if it were a piano.

"Why were you attacked in Vaden before you snuck into my ship?" Elsa broke the silence.

"No idea. Offended people too many to count in ways greater than I noticed," Hans said between munching.

"I'm not surprised. So who'd kill you and why?" Elsa persisted.

Hans sighed, "Learn to lighten up a little Pebble. You always this high strung? No wonder _everyone_ said 'No one is getting anywhere with her' (actually, he's quoting himself). Guess iciness isn't just the magic. See that's why I went after your more sociable sister."

Elsa pouted royally. Hans felt the verbal prodding was almost worth it. _Her expression is too darn cute! Stop thinking of her like that! You need something from her... _he berated himself.

"Thank you for the dreadful insight to your terrible but failed scheme," she deadpanned sarcastically.

"Fineee, I reckon even the dumbest of my brothers would be smart enough to wait till I'm within their grasp to do me in."

Elsa thought his explanation had merit. They could always arrange an 'accident' for Hans when he was in their custody.

"Maybe some of them were _that_ dumb..." Hans' voice trailed.

"We're alone Hans," Elsa persuaded gently. "This isn't a negotiation or interrogation." _But it IS an interrogation! Though first try the gentle approach prying information out of you_.

Hans glanced up, his eyes shone with determination.  
"I need to propose to you."

Elsa stared back. _That came out of nowhere! _"What?!"

"Crud! I meant proposal!"

"Written?"

"I was denied paper."

"So you used lavatory paper?"

"No. I barely had enough to stay hygienic as it is." He proceeds to strip off his shirt.

Elsa looks up from her file. "W-What are you doing!?"

"Guards checked me before meeting you." _I barely smuggled this proposal in_. "Papers won't get through. They even check this other shirt I carried in."

Elsa stared at his bare torso. _Pectorals check, biceps check, six packs check... Why am I checking them out!? _She submerges deeper behind her file, but her eyes still lurking above it.

Hans turns it inside out, revealing the writing underneath. "Relax, its clean."

Hans wears the other shirt but neglected buttoning it.

"Just because I've cut you some slack, doesn't mean you can strip in front of me."

"Uncomfortable?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Elsa hesitantly picks the discarded shirt. "Red writing?"

"It has pained me much to get this to you," Hans said vaguely.

Elsa kept the sophisticated grace facade while reading the 'proposal'. _Its red ink, not blood you turd. Probably the only colour you managed to nick in jail. _"Couldn't you just narrate?"

"Had to write lest I forget," Hans said. _I wrote this in high fever after spending the night next to a living ice block. I don't even remember some of the things I wrote on the shirt, I got dragged here before I was read all of it too...but I don't need your sympathy vote. I have to act strong and confident. _So his excuse, "I advocate multimedia presentations; it often leaves an impression."

"In this case a traumatic one."

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

Hans formed his fingers to a steeple before his chin. "What do you think of the war between XInertian Empire and the Southern Isles?"

_This better not be another bedtime story about the North and South regions of our Continent_,Elsa thought but said "Xinertia, huge empire, south of your kingdom, expands constantly since more than millennia ago. An aggressive and militaristic nation, instigators of many wars in the South...

Historically the SI allies with several surrounding nations to even the odds against Xinertia. The SI alone cannot hope to match." _Though each of your allies, the Isles included are __**powerful**__ in their own right you still need to team up. _

"The Isles have no allies THIS time," Hans said grimly. "Our long-time allies abandoned us. Worse, they're likely to even block attempts to help us. Since they _**do**_ geographically encircle the Southern Isles, they can do 'we adhere to strict neutrality; no military passes through our lands' even if it means them no harm and it's to help the Isles. I think their biased 'neutrality' is _manure_, and stinks of ulterior motives."

Elsa arched an eyebrow. _What compels them to act this way? ...Greed, hate or fear?  
_"Should I be concerned?" she sassed.

"Check the shirt."

Elsa did. "Gods! You strip, then show me a picture of –"

"Not an obscene image! Granted it's badly drawn...and kind of resembles –"Hans' voice trailed.

"The MAP of the Southern Isles and nations surrounding it!" Elsa answered _quickly_.

"And _that_ is a peninsular, NOT a peni – That's Draken Peninsular! " _Woman, you're throwing me off my smooth charming presentation!_

"_Those_ wrapped around the pen – peninsular...The SI Home Islands?" Elsa said flustered.

"Yes! How could you even think it was – DO you have some kind of pent up – "

Elsa was indignant. "Even you admitted your drawing is obscenely suggestive!"

"Admittedly there _are_ plenty of unsavoury jokes of the Isles' geographical layout. We often mark it as envy that the SI controls a strategic choke point where shipping traffic flows between the South and the North. The Southern Isles isn't dumb enough to shut that profitable valve."

"Or – no offense – unilaterally strong enough to close it to shipping between the North and South nations – the whole Continent will be in uproar."

"What if there is a brute dumb and strong enough to seize Draken Peninsular and put Northern shipping at a disadvantage? Except crappier and longer routes, the North would be cut off from the world south and east of the Isles.

What if plenty of South nations not only won't outcry it but consent to Xinertia's invasion?  
My father, for reasons that perplexed many of our people and our allies – signed a free trade agreement and allowed unrestricted access – warships included – between North and South."

"Your father was a visionary," Elsa argued. "He saw past the unjust South nations' resentment of North nations. The Southern Isles prospered greatly as a more neutral broker between the North and South albeit still with strong affiliations with the South. A legacy your eldest brother, the present King, wisely maintained."

"Unfortunately it undermines our relations with our surrounding neighbours, which consequences we pay today!"

"So your Former South Allies want another party willing to take a tougher stance on the North even if it's their frequent antagonist?"

"Have you given thought to why so many Southerners, Xinertia included are willing gang up vs the North _**now**_ but never before?"

If she hadn't her years of training to conceal, the discussion would have ended in blizzard. Instead she challenged him. "Enlighten me."

"Though most South nations have no love for the North, they hardly bothered; too preoccupied bickering amongst ourselves or fending off Xinertia. But for the first time in forever most of the South, even the usually neutral ones are united – United in fear of YOU!"

Elsa laughed. Hans was inwardly deflated by her reaction.

"Hans, Hans..." she shook her head. "Your attempts to request help ranks as the most arrogant, condescending and offensive I've had the tragedy to witness."

"I'm merely trying to inform your majesty of the implications of the War."

Elsa folded her arms and tilted her head to one side. "Just say it openly. Not need to bully me into it. No need to rub your 'reasons' on me – You want me to intervene – and _**personally**_. You need power to affect the War. Unlike huge armies or navies, a small team, with me at its core would be able to slip through those Former Allies surrounding the Southern Isles. You want a **covert mission with me in it**."

Hans danced one hand's fingers. _He's doing his 'Air Piano' again..._Elsa observed. _He must be thinking hard._

Hans rallied himself. "You accuse me of pretence, but aren't you pretending you have nothing to do with this?"

"Don't push it," she seethed. "No one expressed serious concerns; friendly or otherwise after _that Winter –_"

"Well not for the first month or so," Hans retorted. _Perplexingly why bother NOW, but not at the height of the crisis or immediately after it? Why wait SO LONG? _"You've felt the sentiments, read the news, seen the demonstrations...  
its all Anti-Elsa."

"So now you blame me into justifying help for the Southern Isles? Is there even proof of me being _**related**_ to another Southern war?"

"Or you can bury your head in the sand waiting for the consequences to kick your butt. Then it'll be like that storms days ago; _I told you so_!"

"Don't get cocky after one lucky guess," Elsa lifted her chin as she spoke. "Speaking of which, remember you first got on this ship? When you just found out about this War? You were so desperate to get back.

I wondered what an insignificant disgraced cretin, could do to affect the war when none in their kingdom could. The odds of not losing the war are too heavy like you said. When I read the report that the ruling SI aristocrats are almost evenly split between fighting and surrendering Draken Peninsular, I realised...

If you alone can't win the war, then you must be trying to return to cast your vote or sway the decision towards surrender...

But you remained on my ship realising that indeed there _is _ONE person that could affect the war – ME!"

Hans smirk faltered, his fingers tapped rapidly on the table. _This woman is shrewd and infuriatingly good at turning the tables! If things weren't so bad this back and forth verbal sparring could be considered somewhat stimulating._

Elsa continued. "If I'm correct, you're willing to concede a crucial part of your nation just because you're unwilling to fight. You reek of cowardice and selfishness."

"We will lose Draken eventually at this rate!" Hans spat. "Why go through a costly and bloody war then lose and submit to surrender terms harsher than Xinertia's initial demands. We will NOT suffer for Arendelle or any other Northerners!"

Elsa was disgusted. "Yet you ask me to suffer for yours?! There's no proof they that I'm one of the causes for this War. Why would they pretend _that Winter_ didn't matter for more than a month then start complaining about it now!

You do realise why there are those in your kingdom willing to die than give up Draken right? As your obscene map shows, it points right into the SI Home Islands. Will your nation ever be safe with its front yard occupied by its nemesis? Need I educate you on your nation?

Isn't enough that you shame your deceased parents, family and country with your actions in Arendelle?!"

Hans was too stung by her words to reply awhile. When he did, he snarled "Don't bring my parents into this!"

"But it's apparently okaaay for you to bring up my parents when trying to detour the ship? Frankly I don't trust you. No sane person from Arendellle does! You're likely FAKING patriotism for your country – what's in it for you?!"

Hans stood up. "This is a personal vendetta against me isn't it? All that crap talk about my father's legacy—"

Elsa snapped a metal fork she held from sheer cold. "Which you nearly jeopardised, have you forgotten what _you_ did?!"

Hans pressed his eyes cursing voicelessly; w_hy is THIS damn sister so hard to persuade?  
_"If you want revenge, take it out on me _alone_ after this debacle! No need to drag others in the tow. Do you see this is bad for Arendelle as well?!" he bellowed.

Elsa stood, grabbed Hans' collar and pulled his face towards her. Hans relearned a thing about Elsa. _She CAN get aggressive if provoked too far._

"You. listen. to. me," her voice steady but laced with threat. "I've had it **up** to here with **you** and those **crazies** down South—"

The door burst open at this point. "I heard shouting! What's happening!?" Arendelle's General Ionus said.

In the instance he charged in, to Ionus the scene looked like this:  
Queen Elsa grabbing Hans unbuttoned shirt's collar, baring his chest wide open. Both stood up staring intensely at each other, their noses almost touching. _Did I hear Elsa mention having something __**up**__ in her with __**Hans**__ getting __**crazy**__ down south?_

Elsa's previously livid face fell in realisation. "We were discussing politics!" she cried frantically.

Ionus blinked. _By stripping his chest!?_

"I was proposing to her!" Hans helped hastily. _Crap, again!_

Ionus jaw fell. _With this sister too!?_

"No, I just took his shirt!" _Wait what!?_

"What?!" the General was aghast. "I'll leave...Um...please continue your 'interrogation', your majesty." _She's getting out of hand!_

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

That night, lying in bed, Elsa held up Hans' shirt. She studied the inscriptions on it. _Not anything else. Yes not anything else...Did you help me in that storm for yourself, Hans?_

Then she saw something he wrote on it but didn't mention. Did Hans even know he wrote that or forgot in the heat of their argument? Unwittingly she fell asleep clutching onto it.

The deck below her, in cold, someone sneezed and regretted losing one layer of clothes.

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

**Arendelle harbour, morning:**

"Anna!" Queen Elsa race down the gangplank gracefully. _Don't inform Anna about Hans yet..._, she chanted to herself.

"Elsa!" Princess Anna ran along the pier less gracefully. _Don't tell Elsa about_ _the kidnapping yet..._, she repeated in her head.

The sisters halted within arms' length, each frozen with a silly grin of relief but otherwise stood awkwardly apart.

_Hug me, you rambunctious girl, _Elsa hoped under her smile, _I've missed you so much, I need it._

_Elsa, have you gone all frigid again? _Anna thought but held her grin.

People almost finished disembarking the rickety held-together-by-ice ship. Some hung around observing the royal sisters.

Then simultaneously the sisters embraced. "Mhmm" they both hummed, eyes closed to relish their mutual affection.

In the backdrop of two lovely ladies hugging, a ship fell apart. "Watch out mates! Love Thaws!" yelled someone. Men stared dumbfounded as parts of the ship glued by ice broke off. Both sisters were blissfully unaware of the chaos in the background.

"Uh Elsa," Anna spoke, "The ship..."

"Oh my!" Elsa said startled. None was hurt or damaged since everyone and anything useful had gotten out. The hull still somewhat floated.

"What's with the ship?"

"Long stormy story...But look I got you souvenirs!" Elsa presented an unloaded item at the pier.

Anna looked at it "Uh thanks for the eight foot tuna?"

"It's very fresh!" the Queen beamed, hoping this accidental catch impresses because the _other_ accidental catch certainly won't. "Thanks to yours truly."

"No chocolates?"

_Ate it all!_ Elsa held her smile. _I almost regret nothing!_ "But I got you this!" Elsa attempts to placate Anna.

"A foreign gossip magazine?" Anna began flipping through it.

"From Vaden's duty free."

"Hey this year's Continent Top 20 Eligible Bachelors... And you're in it!"

Anna reads through not finding herself in it. "Uh it says you have on top many things your rack is _cest magnifique_" Anna looks to and fro between Elsa and the gratuitously embellished drawing of her in the magazine. "Don't tell me you bought this issue out of narcissism."

"Nonsense, Anna." Elsa subconsciously puffed her chest up.

"Ack, a Southern Isles entry! Phew, thank goodness it isn't Hans! Wow this one's quite the knockout!"

"Oh yeah Prince Heliam is," Elsa nodded sagely.

"Look Elsa," Anna gazed warmly at her sister. "The best souvenir is you safely back here"

"Aww," Elsa cooed and pulled Anna into a hug, both again closing their eyes.

Then it drifted in the air, softly and gently, '_That's right, you like that soft shapely bundle of warmth thawing your coldness. Your fingers softly tread to her back and gently stroke it._'

Elsa dreamily does just that.

"_Yes you like those delicate fingers dancing on your back._" "Mmm," Anna agrees at the sensation with her eyes shut. Elsa's fingers on her shoulder blades felt good.

"_Your hand slides up to her silky crimson hair. You ruffle the hair on the back of her head as your hand pushes her head nearer to yours..."_

Anna's eyes went wide open. "Hey that sounds—"

'_Oh crap!_'

Elsa's eyes snapped open too.

"Hey that's Hans' voice trying to narrate us into SMUT!" Anna spotted him.

The escorting guards who parked Hans nearby on purpose for some drama were not disappointed.

'Narrate this!" Anna screeched.

Had Hans obliged her, it may go like this: _She lunged at me delivering a momentum packed punch to my face. Like a replay of the past, I fell into the sea again. I shall cease narrating and concentrate on acquiring oxygen..._

"Anna?" Elsa spoke.

Anna spun to Elsa. "You brought Hans back!? What the—I don't even—."

"He can't swim, he's tied up" Elsa said.

"Oh."

Hans' life story nearly ended unceremoniously there that day.

**0ooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo0**

The Arendelle royal sisters walked towards the castle. The elder girl busied herself reading documents, elegantly avoiding obstacles while the younger one fumed and walked into pole.

"Elsa what were you thinking!?" Anna berated while rubbing her forehead.

"What?" Elsa said defensively.

"Did something '_happen_'," the younger girl air quoted, "at the Southern Isles?"

"We actually didn't get that far. Did I tell you about this massive protest/demonstration against me?"

"Wait what? Don't change the subject... Elsa, I know I've been nudging you to meet guys but this is ridiculous! "

"No I'm _cool_ being single at 21."

"Don't tell me he's repented. It's barely two months since we got rid of him. Even I haven't repented from my castle shenanigans!"

"I don't think he's repented either." Elsa said. _But does he seem different.._._More irritating for one..._

"Did you get a memo saying he's our slave/servant/present? He's not _your_ souvenir is he?" Anna accused while jabbing Elsa's side.

Elsa laughed from the tickle. "Holy Ice! No on all counts."

Anna continued. "Or he got banished and wandered into you?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. That was actually half correct.

"You got '_curious'_ and..."

"Anna!" Elsa's cheeks reddened. "I'm presently very busy as your Queen, and sister, and we have tons of hostiles bearing on us."

"Yeah I met some—" Anna clamps her own mouth shut.

Elsa halted. "_Met_ what, Anna?!" The tables of interrogation turned.

Anna nervously connects and disconnects her index fingers repeatedly. "Uh you see..."

"The Princess was kidnapped...for about few minutes we estimate," a dark dressed woman approached them. She bowed to the Queen then the Princess.

"Lady Magnesa," Elsa acknowledges her Head of Intelligence.


End file.
